Ugh! It's Payday and My Husband Will Want Take Out and I Am Sick of It! Ideas?

I am trying to get my husband to stop eating out so often too. What I have tried is giving him sorta the kind of food we might order out. So I have been buying frozen pizza to have on sunday afternoons instead of stopping for pizza. I try to have a decent level of "junk food" so that will satisfy him instead of feeling like we have to eat out. So far its working (about 3 weeks I've been intentionally doing this) So although I'm buying stuff I wouldn't have normally bought, its still cheaper than eating out. Good luck!

honestly I would love to swap with you- my hubby wont eat take out therefore I am cooking almost every night of the week I HATE it I am so tired of trying to think of something to cook-

Is it the take-out food that he likes best, or the convenience, or the quickness, the lack of clean-up? Or is it just habit?

I would keep the Fridays and try new places. I would put something in the crock-pot on Sundays so that it's done the minute you walk in (pulled pork, shredded beef, chicken) and the house will smell yummy.

Best crockpot recipe recently found - 2lb beef chuck roast put in crockpot with a jar of peperoncini peppers on low for 8 hours. Serve on buns or french rolls with a slice of cheese - mozarella, provolone, or swiss. Yum!!

Pulled pork - 2 lb or more pork butt roast, one bottle of root beer, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Drain, shred, and add BBQ sauce. Serve on buns, with cole slaw.

make tacos or cheesesteaks or chinese if thats what he likes.

I WISH we would go out even once a week. I love dining out, yet we do it only about once a month. :(

What does he always order when y'all go out? -- try making something similar. My husband always loves anything with sausage, spicy sausage especially. I make a dish with jalepenos, sausage, two cans of black beans, on top of rice. We add tabasco to ours and it's really yummy.

Homemade pizzas are fun - add whatever toppings you prefer.

It's getting cooler here. This weekend I plan to make our 'german soup' which has cabbage, carrot, potato, and sausage, with a tomatoey broth. Warms us up and tastes super-good.

Roast Chicken (marinate it a while in italian dressing) with his favorite dip - honey mustard, bbq, spicy bbq, sweet bbq .... I dip mine in Franks Red Hot. My son liked kechup. With a side of veggies and maybe a pasta you're done.

Where does he like to eat and what does he like to eat? You can get cheat cookbooks with signature chain recipes. Or just think of what he orders and learn how to make it. For my husband - broccoli beef and fried rice. I make that and serve with chopsticks, an eggroll and a fortune cookie. I like cajun shrimp pasta alfredo from Red Lobster - no problem, figured out how to make it for a family of 4 for the same price I paid for one serving at the joint. You can make it fun by doing theme night and renting a movie in that theme.

We are big fans of Italian Beef sandwiches! I pick them up at the deli and they come with the au jous gravy. Put it in a crockpot on low before work or pick up on your way bring gravy to a boil and it only take a few minutes to be ready. Serve on Hoagies or french bread and your good! My picky daughter loves them with mozzarella cheese melted on them or american. Husband does Gardinerra. 2-3 days a week we do this and they are never sick of it!! :) I do Costco Cresent rolls occasionally to switch it up too!

I would do chilli or spigetti. Those are easy to fix. If you don't like chilli by itself you can make chilli dogs.

Good luck and God Bless!

My hubby is just the opposite. He would be happy if we never ate out - he loves his home cooked meals. Ugh! I, on the other hand, am more like your hubby - would love to eat out every night if I could afford it. Since we can't, I cook every night except Fridays. I have always had a rule about not cooking on Fridays. I am not a great cook and don't have a huge list of things I make, so I get tired of having what feels like the same old thing all the time. That being said, what about enchilladas, baked chicken with a pasta side dish, pot roast and potatos, shepards pie, meatloaf with baked potatos.

Most men I have known are suckers for a good steak or how about Pot Roast? Can't go wrong with either of those?

What's his favorite food?

I agree that you can make some changes by cooking ahead. You can cook on Saturdays and make several meals for the week all at once. I like making things like grilled chicken breasts that can be used in salads, with ranch dip or in pasta. Also, chili can be made, then frozen in smaller portions so you can pull it out the day of and have it thawed for a quick dinner with some macaroni noodles.

My husband also doesn't like my cooking. I love the all recipes website. It has great reviews and excellent recipes. I highly recommend the site because it lets you see reviews, gives clear and easy instructions and allows you to choose ingredients like "chicken" to see recipes.

Lunch with your husband is "you time". For Sundays why not pack sandwiches?

Next time your husband talks about ordering out, tell him you'd like maid service too, but that isn't happening! We all have to stretch our dollars. Any way to you make dinner quick and easy everyone will be happy. No one wants to cook/slave all day and then clean up after everyone after dinner too.

M.:

This is a huge problem!! do you realize how much money you are literally wasting by doing this?

Put something in the crock pot before you leave for the football field on Sunday and it will be ready when you get home.

Pull out a cook book and go on line and tell your husband to pick out recipes that he thinks so good. Then take the money that you would have spent on take out and put it in an account. Don't tell him about it - then after 3 months of doing this - surprise him with something nice...

He doesn't like home cooked meals? Tell him to grow the heck up and get his butt to the table. 3x a week eating out with a family is obscene. That tells me you guys aren't saving money nor are you budgeting correctly.

I'm sorry if that sounds mean - but seriously? Take out 3x a week?!?! Ohio may be cheaper than Virginia - I'm thinking that's a good $120 a week you spend on take out...YIKES!!!! that's almost 500 a month!!!!! That could be a car payment!!!

Suggestions on what to make? It's late now...if I had seen this at 2PM I would've said put a whole chicken in the oven, make some mashed potatoes and gravy and put a veggie.

On short notice? I would make salisbury steak out of hamburgers, green beans and stuffing or mashed potatoes...

Although it won't help much for tonight, you might try crock pot meals on the typical days your husband likes to order out. There's something about knowing it's cooking all day that just keeps your head focused on a wonderful dinner. My family really enjoys some of the slow cooker meals that start with McCormick seasoning packets. The pulled pork is a favorite.

Good luck!

I love to cook!!! In fact, I just saw Paula Deen today at a book signing. She has a new book out...Southern Bible I believe---it had some awesome recipes! I always tweak the recipes if I don't want as much fat or butter in them. You may want to check out the food tv station or their online web site. They have millions if not more recipes! I don't eat out myself because I am single. I save a lot more money that way. :) I would love to eat out! Take out gets old and its always the same it seems. Is he a fan of chicken dishes? If so they are millions of chicken dishes out there! Your husband may just have to learn to like home made meals! :) Cooking can be fun!

Check out the Food TV web site!!!!

Good Luck!

Sounds like he doesn't like your cooking? I would suggest making a list of ALL the take out items he likes and try those at home....OR take some cooking lessons and change the menu at home. As for your weekly lunch with your husband......many wives out there would love that invitation.

Blessings.....

barbeque chicken
chicken feticcini
hamburgers and fries
chili
veggie soup
taco salad

we eat out 3-4 times a week sometimes and don't think much of it because we have the budget for it. plus we enjoy it as a couple and family. if YOU are tired of take out then offer to make an at home version of his favorite take out. or just cook on thursday night before he can offer the takeout. sunday do the crockpot routine.

but do you want to give up date lunches? that's quality time with your man. i can see the other two times reasoned away but i value my saturday night dinners with my man. we also try to do friday lunches out since kids are in school, but that doesn't always happen.

here's a thought: who is picking the restaraunts? only him or do you get a vote? i'd demand a vote atleast some of the time.